Gilded Gargoyle, The: A Cozy Mystery of Architecture and an Old Foundation

??? The historic town of Gableton is buzzing with the grand reopening of the old city hall, a magnificent Gothic revival building. But the celebration turns to horror when the lead architect—a man with a reputation for cutting corners and making enemies—is found dead in the bell tower, a small, gilded gargoyle statue lying beside him. The police suspect a tragic accident, but historical preservationist and architectural historian Elara Vane notices the scene is all wrong. The specific gargoyle is a replica, and the original, which holds a secret, is missing. When Elara's own research into the building's past makes her a target, she must trace the blueprint of the crime to uncover the truth. With help from her inquisitive jackdaw, Corvis, and a charming stonemason restoring the building, Elara uncovers a structure of lies. From forged historical documents and hidden construction flaws to a decades-old urban legend about a treasure hidden within the building's stones, every clue points to a killer who will stop at nothing to protect a secret as old as the foundation. Can Elara reconstruct the events before the killer ensures she becomes part of the building's tragic history?